Traffic flows along College Avenue between Maple and Rebecca streets Monday morning. The area could soon be approved for new sidewalks, streetlights and tree wells.
Photo: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
The City Council’s Street Committee is working to create a list of new projects that could be added to the Transportation Improvement Bond Program that Fayetteville voters approved in 2006.
The $65.9 million program has paid for several projects such as a new intersection at Gregg Avenue and North Street; enhancements to College Avenue; the roundabout near Washington Regional Medical Center; and a widening project on Garland Avenue. Several more projects are scheduled as part of the program such as the College Avenue flyover bridge; an extension of Van Asche Drive; and continued widening of Crossover Road.
It was recently determined that an estimated $15.5 million is still available due to lower-than-expected construction bids, acquired grant money and the removal of a project from the original list.
Sidewalk widening and other improvements to College Avenue are complicated by the existing retaining walls on the west side of the road near Rebecca Street and the intersection of North Street.
Todd Gill
The committee last month identified five new projects which will likely be forwarded to the City Council for final approval, including improvements to Old Wire and Zion roads; a new road that would provide access to a planned regional park; and continued enhancements to College Avenue. Those projects would use up about $11.5 million of the leftover funds.
Another $1.7 million of the surplus will likely be used for matching federal-aid funds to complete three other improvement projects: realignment and intersection work on Rupple Road; partial widening of Razorback Road; and widening and bridge replacement on Highway 16.
That leaves a little over $2 million to be allocated to other projects.
Possible ideas for the money include intersection improvements at Garland/Maple and at Garland/North; access to the planned Houses at Willow Bend development east of Walker Park; and improvements to Garland Avenue between Shiloh Drive and Howard Nickell Road.
Street Committee members are set to revisit the project list at their next meeting on March 26.
Proposed projects
Project: Old Wire Road (Mission to Crossover)
Total cost: $4 million
Bond program cost: $3.6 million
Proposed work: New sidewalks, bike lanes and turning lanes at select intersections between Mission Boulevard and Crossover Road, and a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Old Missouri Road. Sidewalks would be built on both sides of the road beginning at Mission Boulevard, but would be reduced to just the east side of Old Wire north from Ash Street. Note: A separate state project is underway that will add a signalized intersection at Old Wire and Mission. Construction will begin later this year.
Project: Zion Road (Vantage to Crossover)
Total cost: $4.6 million
Bond program cost: $4.5 million
Proposed work: Improvement of the sharp curve just east of Vantage Drive and removal of the deep ditches next to the road. Bike lanes and sidewalks are also planned.
Project: Regional Park Access
Total cost: $1.4 million
Bond program cost: $1.4 million
Proposed work: Improvement of Judge Cummings Road, and building a new route through the city’s property off Cato Springs Road to provide access to a planned 200-acre regional sports and recreation park. The road would include curbs, gutters, sidewalks and streetlights.
Project: College Avenue (Maple to Rebecca)
Total cost: $600,000
Bond program cost: $600,000
Proposed work: Improvements would match the existing enhancements between Rock and Maple streets, which include sidewalks, streetlights and tree wells.
Project: College Avenue (Rebecca to North)
Total cost: $1.4 million
Bond program cost: $1.4 million
Proposed work: This segment is complicated by the existing retaining walls on the west side of the road near Rebecca Street and on the east side of the road near the intersection of North Street. The project will include new sidewalks, but could require a solution that doesn’t specifically match what is proposed from Maple to Rebecca.
Project: Rupple Road (Best Friend Lane to Mount Comfort Road)
Total cost: $3.7 million
Bond program cost: $682,000
Proposed work: The road will be realigned to connect with Mount Comfort Road at the existing signal. A new bridge is proposed across Hamestring Creek, and a new 4-way intersection will be built at Mount Comfort Road.
Project: Highway 112/Razorback Road (MLK Jr. Blvd. to Leroy Pond Drive)
Total cost: $2.6 million
Bond program cost: $260,000
Proposed work: This project will widen Razorback Road to include four travel lanes, with turning lanes at MLK and at Leroy Pond where a new signal will be built. Sidewalks will be added on both sides of the road.
Project: Highway 16 (Stonebridge to West Fork Bridge)
Total cost: $4 million
Bond program cost: $800,000
Proposed work: Widening of the highway to four lanes from Happy Hollow to Stonebridge roads, and replacement of the bridge over the West Fork of the White River.
Hey not only are the College Ave. improvements what we need most, but they’re the cheapest on the list. That’s convenient. Let’s just do the whole street before we start widening anything else.
The two retaining walls mentioned between rebecca and north certainly could be spruced up. Maybe we could commission some art if the walls aren’t going to be replaced.
Love the idea of commissioning artwork for retaining walls if not replaced, Ryan! I really wish more artwork/murals would be commissioned around Fayetteville. There is a side of a torn down building off of college that just screams paint me! :) The whole thing is painted gray so it isn’t really that much of an eyesore though.
The extension of Van Asche will connect to Garland north of I540 so removing the project to improve Garland north of I540 seems counterproductive. The extension will add traffic to a narrow Garland with ditches on each side of it and which is being improved south of I540 in sections.
That project, I believe, was removed from design funding until a couple of things are worked out. For one, the state is currently designing a new I-540 interchange at Garland as part of a future I-540 widening project. Also, there have been talks of a possible state project that would realign Highway 112 from the I-540 area to Tontitown in an effort to remove some of the sharp curves and possibly widen the road.
No realignment! Those sharp curves are what make that section of 112 fun to drive!
That’s good to hear- the only thing I had heard was that it had been dropped because the large development west of Garland had been cancelled.
This is news to me and rather interesting, considering I live in a new development along one of those curves in hwy 112. We like our curves. Now as far as the Van Asche extension: that would help us all out on the northwest side.
That’s a good picture of the section needing new sidewalks.
Notice how College Ave narrows down as you head south, at Trenton (yacht club). That’s probably closer to the minimum street width required. As a sidewalker, I prefer that we re-evaluate any and all of our street projects for possible narrowing to this minimum. That’s what was done on Maple, east of College, and it makes for a better-looking, more pedestrian-friendly street.
There may be safety concerns with narrowing College Avenue in the curvier sections like the stretch between Rebecca & North Street, but on the straighter parts, like North Street to Township, I hope the city will consider narrowing the lanes if its possible (being a state highway). This would give us more ROW for better sidewalks and a saner environment for pedestrians.
I hope the city will really re-think College Avenue in a big way. The design of the highway hasn’t been re-evaluated since it was the primary north/south route through NWA. It was designed and built to carry 18 wheelers and for drive-by businesses like gas stations and fast-food. Now, its the heart of the city. Time for a new plan.
I certainly agree. I want to see more people walking down College, and that means making it so that you aren’t scared you’re going to get your elbow clipped by a speeding truck.
It seems like one of those retaining walls on College collapsed a year or two back and had to be replaced. It seems like I saw another one of them bulging when I drove by sometime recently. They probably all need to be replaced.
Most likely the city will design and build an attractive street border, and call it a sidewalk. They’ll then wonder why more people aren’t walking.
I would really like to see a pedestrian crossing exactly in the hollow of the picture above or somewhere around Trenton. Many of the residents in the Washington / Willow neighbourhood walk / cycle / run to Wilson Park, and I don’t believe there is a crossing anywhere between Maple and North. Traffic is fast on College.